Cloud Architect

The Cloud Architect is responsible for enabling product and platform teams to make sound architectural decisions across cloud platforms, identity, integration, security and modern application services.

The role connects business strategy and delivery requirements with secure, scalable and efficient cloud solutions. It contributes to the firm's cloud strategy, aligns cloud architectures to strategic goals, and works across Technology, Innovation and Enterprise Architecture to ensure cloud-based architectures support agreed objectives and service expectations.

This is an architecture enablement role rather than an architecture gatekeeping role. The successful candidate will define reusable patterns and guardrails, provide early direction, frame decisions and trade-offs, and coach teams so that safe delivery can increasingly occur without continuous central intervention.

Main duties and responsibilities

Architecture enablement

• Provide timely architectural direction to product and platform teams.
• Frame decisions, options, trade-offs, constraints and recommendations clearly.
• Produce Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), reference architectures, patterns and reusable design assets.
• Translate cloud strategy, capability direction and guardrails into guidance that delivery teams can apply.
• Coach engineers and teams in architectural thinking, reducing dependency on direct architectural intervention over time.

Cloud strategy and platform direction

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of the firm's cloud strategy.
• Support cloud modernisation initiatives and the evolution of platform capabilities.
• Help shape platform and product visions, roadmaps and backlogs by identifying architectural prerequisites and dependencies.
• Promote automation, Infrastructure as Code, policy-as-code and modern platform engineering practices where appropriate.
• Balance technical quality, security, delivery speed, cost, sustainability and operational supportability.

Governance and assurance

• Ensure proposed solutions align with agreed architecture principles, standards, guardrails and strategic direction.
• Participate in architecture reviews, decision forums and design assurance activities.
• Identify architectural risks, constraints, technical debt and sequencing issues early in the delivery lifecycle.
• Distinguish strategic, hard-to-reverse decisions from local, reversible decisions, applying proportionate governance.
• Support evidence-based assurance without creating unnecessary delivery bottlenecks.

Technology leadership

• Conduct horizon scanning and assess emerging cloud technologies and architectural approaches.
• Contribute to technology radar and technology reference model activities.
• Provide architectural guidance across cloud, identity, security, data, integration, automation and modern application services.
• Share delivery lessons with the wider architecture community to improve patterns, standards and guardrails.

Collaboration

• Work closely with Solution Architects, Enterprise Architects, Data Architects, Security Architects, platform teams, product teams and engineering communities.
• Engage business and technology stakeholders to understand intended outcomes and translate them into coherent architectural direction.
• Facilitate outcome-focused discussions and communicate complex subjects clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Build trusted relationships across regions and functions to improve consistency while recognising legitimate local requirements.

About you

• Demonstrable experience designing and governing enterprise cloud solutions.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure architecture and cloud-native services.
• Experience of identity and access management, including Microsoft Entra ID.
• Experience of cloud security, governance, resilience, cost management and operational design considerations.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code, automation and contemporary delivery practices.
• Experience producing High-Level Designs, Architecture Decision Records, reference architectures, technical standards and architectural roadmaps.
• Ability to make pragmatic decisions where information is incomplete and to explain the rationale, assumptions and trade-offs.
• Ability to communicate confidently with engineering teams, delivery leaders, architects and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to influence without relying solely on formal authority.

Desirable experience

• Azure Landing Zones and enterprise-scale cloud governance.
• Platform engineering, DevSecOps and governance-as-code.
• Containers and orchestration technologies such as Kubernetes and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Microsoft Purview, Databricks or enterprise data platform architecture.
• Zero Trust architecture, secure access service edge and technologies such as Zscaler.
• Artificial intelligence, Microsoft Copilot or agentic AI architecture and governance.
• Cross-tenant collaboration, identity federation and global cloud operating models.
• Experience working in a regulated, professional services or globally distributed organisation.
• Demonstrable experience designing and governing enterprise cloud solutions.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Azure architecture and cloud-native services.
• Experience of identity and access management, including Microsoft Entra ID.
• Experience of cloud security, governance, resilience, cost management and operational design considerations.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code, automation and contemporary delivery practices.
• Experience producing High-Level Designs, Architecture Decision Records, reference architectures, technical standards and architectural roadmaps.
• Ability to make pragmatic decisions where information is incomplete and to explain the rationale, assumptions and trade-offs.
• Ability to communicate confidently with engineering teams, delivery leaders, architects and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to influence without relying solely on formal authority.

Key working relationships

• Principal Cloud Architect and the wider Cloud & Solution Architecture team.
• Enterprise, business, data, integration, security and solution architecture colleagues.
• Platform owners, product owners, engineers, delivery leads and service management teams.
• Information Security, risk, compliance and governance stakeholders.
• Regional technology teams and strategic technology partners.

Candidate proposition

This role provides the opportunity to shape cloud architecture within a global professional services organisation. The Cloud Architect will influence cloud strategy, security, identity, data platforms, artificial intelligence adoption and enterprise modernisation, while helping delivery teams move faster through clearer direction and reusable architectural assets.

About us

We're a global law firm helping our clients achieve their goals wherever they do business. Our pursuit of innovation has transformed our delivery of legal services. With offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, we deliver exceptional outcomes on cross-border projects, critical transactions and high-stakes disputes.

At DLA Piper, we understand that inclusion is not a one-size-fits-all concept. We embrace and celebrate the range of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences that each individual brings to our firm. By fostering a culture that welcomes and appreciates all aspects of our individuality, we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Our commitment to inclusion and positive social impact enables us to provide exceptional service to our clients and communities, while nurturing a unique and inclusive culture for all our people. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people – however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

We are committed to being accessible and accommodating any reasonable adjustments needed throughout the recruitment process to ensure an inclusive experience for all. If you need any support or adjustments, please let us know.

Where local legislation permits, we will conduct relevant pre-engagement screening checks prior to your first day.

   

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